BATH

When holiday shoppers match the jingle of The Salvation Army bells with the jingle of coins being dropping into the iconic red kettles, they may not fully appreciate the magnitude of the gift they collectively give the Mid-coast community.

Each dollar collected is used to fund much more than just gifts at Christmas — though it certainly does that — and touches the lives of thousands of local people year round.

This season, however, is sizing up to be one that falls far short of the goal. While there are several contributing factors to the smaller collections, in the Mid-coast the reality is that less funds means less services provided through the Bath corps.

And those services extended far beyond Christmastime.

“We help with financial needs, whether it be heat, security deposits, rent or electric” payments, said Capt. Jean Henderson, who, along with her husband, Capt. Ken Henderson, are the leaders at The Salvation Army’s corps at 25 Congress Ave. “Of course, we assist kids going to (summer) camps, (and operate) kids clubs in three locations that service hundreds of kids each month.”

When disaster strikes — house fires, for example — the Army is also quick to respond. Its canteen truck can be seen providing firefighters with water and food, and Army staff often work behind the scenes to provide the newly homeless with clothing, food, shelter and support and referral assistance. Every dollar that is dropped into a red kettle this season will be used to fund those programs, and more.

But despite all the year-round services, for many The Salvation Army will always be about Christmas.

It’s a time of year that seems to bring out the good in many people. Just ask bell ringer Peter Driscoll of Bath, who was manning a kettle at Brackett’s Market as snow swirled about Tuesday, Dec. 10.

“I get to help the community,” the first-year bell ringer said, while pausing to greet passersby. “Everybody is grateful for what I’m doing. Somebody dropped off a present for me. It made me feel appreciated, I gotta say.”

Debbie Bailey of Bath, ringing the bells at one kettle in front of Walmart on Tuesday, echoed the sentiment. “I just love the people and the fact that I’m helping a very good cause. And I love to smile.”

Despite the cold, she says she would like to ring bells again next year. “The cold doesn’t bother, we live in Maine.”

But that cold is a factor for many other Mainers who struggle to provide for all their necessities, including heat and food.

In November and December, hundreds of families come in to apply for assistance, which includes Thanksgiving and Christmas food boxes as well as Christmas gifts for the children, clothing and coats for the family, stocking stuffers and books. The need grows more each year.

“We have served 500 families, more than 1,600 individuals, providing food, toys for children, books, stocking stuffers, stuffed animals,” said Capt. Jean Henderson. This year at Thanksgiving, “we served about 250 families with food baskets.”

Those figures continue to climb. The need “is definitely up,” said Henderson. “I see all those figures being bigger by the time we’re done.”

The Mid-coast is not the only area seeing a greater need, however. It’s across the entire Salvation Army, Henderson explained. Maine is part of the Northern New England Division, which is amongst the coldest regions and uses a greater percentage of its funds to help keep people warm.

“Our district commander, Maj. James LaBossiere, was recently on TV telling about the needs across the board,” Henderson added.

The kettles are the largest fundraiser of the year, by far, said Henderson. “If we don’t do well at kettles, we have to begin cutting.”

As the shortened kettle season rolls on, more corps like Bath could be faced with curtailing some of the services they provide.

In general, stores only allow kettle workers to stand and ring bells from Black Friday to Christmas Eve. So when Thanksgiving comes late — this year it was Nov. 28 compared to Nov. 22 last year — it cuts drastically into the number of days collections can be made.

And fewer days could mean potentially devastating cuts to service unless Mid-coasters are able to dig a little deeper and help make up the shortfall.

Help fill the need

There are ways to help, said Henderson. There is a shortage of volunteer bell ringers this year, so staff have been calling on all Scout troops, hockey and basketball teams, National Honor Societies and Key Clubs and schools to man the kettles for a shift at one of the nearly dozen locations from Freeport to Wiscasset.

In addition, individuals and groups can donate food or sponsor a family. People are also encouraged to pick up an Angel Tree tag at stores throughout the region and purchase a suggested gift for a child.

“Angel Tree tags represent a child from a low-income family who otherwise may not get a gift under the tree,” Henderson said. “It’s like adopting one child.”

But not all tags are taken from the display trees, she said. “So when tags come back, if there are 150 tags that didn’t get taken, that’s 150 kids not getting a gift.”

She explained that staff and volunteers at the local corps will do their best to find a gift to match what is requested, but cannot always do so. They will allow parents to come by and select an age-appropriate gift for their child from general toy donations or from the Marine Corps Toys For Tots campaign. “But it’s not necessarily what they wanted.”

For six weeks, local volunteers have been processing parents seeking assistance on a walk-in basis. There is one week set aside for appointments, and within one day, every slot was double-booked for that week. “That’s never happened before.”

But it illustrates the greater need this year. Some people are realizing at the last minute that, even though they thought they could afford to buy gifts for their children, they cannot. Then they have to call, Henderson said.

Local ringers can be found at Cook’s Corner Mall and Walmart in Brunswick, Renys in Bath, and Shaw’s supermarkets in Bath, Brunswick, Freeport and Wiscasset, through Christmas Eve. Countertop displays are set up at other stores throughout the region.

The Salvation Army is encouraging the public to help the organization meet its annual goal by contributing generously during the “Keep the Kettle Boiling” Day on Saturday, Dec. 21, at all red kettles throughout Northern New England.

As of Dec. 11, The Salvation Army’s Northern New England Division had collected $725,078 through its red kettle effort, a holiday fundraising tradition that dates back to the 1890s. This year’s divisional goal is $2,210,366.

“This has been a challenging year with our Christmas kettle effort,” said Maj. LaBossiere, “but we are hoping that the last week before Christmas will see an outpouring of generosity.

“I feel confident that the public can ‘keep the kettle boiling’ on Saturday and insure that we are able to serve more men, women and children in need.”

“Keep the Kettle Boiling” Day is intended to draw attention to society’s casualties, individuals and families who are struggling to survive. Last year in Northern New England, The Salvation Army assisted 50,000 individuals.

For more information on the programs, or volunteer and donation opportunities, call the Bath corps at 443-3611.